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While the footballing world rages on about scoring goals at Manchester United, at the other end of the pitch Louis Van Gaal has quietly transformed Chris Smalling into one of the world’s best defenders – Michael Smalling. The best English defender has led a United back line in giving up a league fewest 8 total goals in 12 Premier League matches so far (3 of them coming in one game at Arsenal). The hard headed Dutchman has genuinely misnamed his leading defender on two occasions and now it has stuck. What’s more shocking than the Iron Tulip’s memory is the turn around Smalling has undergone as a footballer.
After leaving Milwall (where Smalling had decided to focus on his studies more than his game, believing football may not be the future for him), Maidstone United gave the young defender a chance. His focus was now fully on his football and after great improvement at the Non-League club, Fulham was the next stop for him. When he arrived at Craven Cottage he started in Fulham’s U18 squad before moving into the U21 squad. Next, it was into then manager Roy Hodgson’s senior team. Smalling credits his next move to a lot of detail and positional work with Hodgson; 'practice makes perfect' is one of Smalling’s main focuses.
Sir Alex Ferguson had already set sights on him. After a season and a half in the first team at Fulham, Ferguson pulled the trigger and brought the young, improving English defender to Manchester United. Ferguson, as he had done countless times before, saw the potential in a young player and didn’t hesitate to fold him into the biggest club in England.
Sir Alex Ferguson had already set sights on him. After a season and a half in the first team at Fulham, Ferguson pulled the trigger and brought the young, improving English defender to Manchester United. Ferguson, as he had done countless times before, saw the potential in a young player and didn’t hesitate to fold him into the biggest club in England.
Smalling’s development has taken longer than many imagined (but which football fan and pundit out there isn’t the most football-impatient person you know?). Ferguson and Van Gaal both saw something that wasn’t quite there yet - one of the most feared defenders in the world. That didn’t happen overnight. Smalling, tutored by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, struggled with injuries which led to inconsistency on the pitch. If you were watching, you could catch a glimpse of a tough and smart defender trying to emerge, but never long enough to make you believe that Michael Smalling would ever appear on a consistent basis.
Like Hodgson, Louis van Gaal spends plenty of time in training sessions. While many of Louis van Gaal’s double sessions have not gone down well with many United players (team captain’s Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick even approached Van Gaal on behalf of the team earlier in the season), Smalling is one who wants to learn. Session after session of detailed positional and tactical focus, passing, and aerial duels is what Smalling has given the credit to in his rise to the top of football. There may be some footballers better ranked statistically than Smalling, but he’s at the top of the list of many fans and rivals when ranking defenders. And why shouldn’t he be? Manchester United are 2 points off the top of the Premier League and currently lead their Champions League group.
Smalling has improved season after season in important defensive categories. A huge change is in his inaccurate short passes per 90 minutes. In his first season at United, Smalling misplaced 6.8 short passes per game. The following season that dropped to 5.4, and then to 3.2 last season. Now, through 12 games this season, Smalling has only misplaced 2.7 passes per 90 minutes. No defender in the top 4, having played all 12 league matches, has won more aerial duels than he has (33), and Smalling has zero defensive errors to his name. The improvement is sharp and his calmness at the back has no doubt given his manager little to worry about.
Louis van Gaal rewarded the defender last season with a new long term United deal, showing the Dutchman’s belief that he is the man to anchor the Red Devil’s defensive unit. Perhaps no greater testament of the defenders rise to the top has come than that of his former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who said he would put Smalling “right on top of Messi” should he ever face Barcelona in a Champions League final again.
While we wonder about scoring goals and playing free flowing, adventurous football again like the United of old, Louis Van Gaal has painstakingly been building the long term foundation for something great at the biggest club in the world.
In Louis van Gaal's philosophy, the team with the most ball possession implies that the opponent will have the fewest amount of chances to score. Should they get one of those rare chances, Michael Smalling and the United back four, protected by arguably the best goal keeper in the world in David DeGea, has consistently and effectively stood against the attack of team after team in search of goals against Van Gaal’s new look United in England and in Europe, but more than not have fallen short.
In Louis van Gaal's philosophy, the team with the most ball possession implies that the opponent will have the fewest amount of chances to score. Should they get one of those rare chances, Michael Smalling and the United back four, protected by arguably the best goal keeper in the world in David DeGea, has consistently and effectively stood against the attack of team after team in search of goals against Van Gaal’s new look United in England and in Europe, but more than not have fallen short.
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